When it comes to Memphis, it's arguably the music that keeps the Tennessee city in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Whether it's Stax Records, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, W.C. Handy, the Hi Rhythm Section, Booker T. & The MG's, or the Memphis Horns, the city has earned its reputation as the birthplace of rock and roll.

Since April 2000, Memphis' rich musical legacy has been highlighted at the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, an institution that helps tell the story of the birth of rock and soul music. But what's been missing is a tribute to the city's wide-ranging role as a cauldron of creativity in the fields of blues, gospel, jazz, R&B, country, rockabilly, hip-hop, and more. That will change on Nov. 29 with the launch of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and an induction ceremony for its first 25 honorees at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

The event will pay tribute to the city's musical heritage through video, spoken word and live performances from several of the hall's inaugural inductees, including Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. & The MG's, George Coleman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Three 6 Mafia, and ZZ Top, among others. Children of late inductees Otis Redding and Rufus Thomas will present musical tributes to their fathers' respective musical careers.

"This project has been long overdue," says John Doyle, executive director of the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, one of the organizations that helped make the dream of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame a reality. "People have been talking about a [Memphis Music] Hall of Fame for 30 years."

With the help of organizations such as the Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Smithsonian Institution, the Blues Foundation, the Center for Southern Folklore, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the idea was born to create a hall of fame that would touch on all genres that were "born or nourished in Memphis."

The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter has also played a vital role, says the Chapter's Senior Executive Director Jon Hornyak.

"The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is an important new player in the Memphis music scene and we want to help it flourish," says Hornyak. "Starting in the '80s, it became a priority of our Chapter to honor the individuals who had made significant contributions to music, bringing together the diversity that put Memphis music on the map. We'll continue to support the hall by providing content to which we have access, or helping to make connections between like-minded organizations. We have a common mission: promoting the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture."

Once the project started to gain momentum, a nominating committee was created to draft the names to be included in the inaugural class. The committee included Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient Al Bell, former chairman of Stax Records and former president of Motown Records; author Peter Guralnick, who has written books about Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson and Elvis Presley; author/filmmaker/producer Nelson George; and Deanie Parker, who had a lengthy career at Stax Records as a recording artist, producer, songwriter, and executive. According to Parker, the nominations process was laborious.

"We had meetings ad nauseum," she jokingly recalls. "We didn't want to be accused of being biased and there were so many prospects. We wanted to keep it as fair as possible and all-inclusive. We stayed with it until everyone was satisfied with the list. I'm a die-hard supporter of Memphis talent … [and] I was gung-ho about recognizing the people that made Memphis a music mecca."

While additional inaugural inductees include Stax Records co-founders Estelle Axton (a Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient) and Jim Stewart, storied session player and producer Jim Dickinson, GRAMMY winners Al Green and Isaac Hayes, Sun Records founder and Academy Trustees Award recipient Sam Phillips, and Presley, the hall also has plans to honor individuals who helped nourish the musical community. Tributes are in the works for inductees Jimmie Lunceford, Memphis' first high school band director who organized the Chickasaw Syncopators, a student band that eventually performed at the legendary Cotton Club; Dewey Phillips, a DJ at Memphis' WHBQ-FM who was the first person to broadcast a Presley record on air; and Lucie Campbell, a gospel composer who also taught choral singing to future gospel stars such as Marian Anderson.

"Music in Memphis was an explosion, not a gradual progression," Doyle explains. "The depression pulled indigent farmers into the city and their music mixed with the field hollers and blues of the African-American community and the more organized sounds of black gospel music. Juke joints and bars flourished. The yellow fever epidemic of 1878 made a lot of whites flee the city, making it more racially diverse and sparked musical cooperation between blacks and whites. … Memphis was an early center for the Civil Rights Movement and fed into the unbridled rebelliousness of white teenagers."

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame will begin as an online project that will feature biographical information for all inductees.

"That will start to build some political, social and financial momentum and we'll see how it manifests in the city," Doyle explains. "We're exploring such possibilities and opportunities as art installations to help brand the city as a musical destination, mural projects to involve visual artists and tours throughout the city to important musical sites. Everybody knows Sun Records and Graceland, but that's only part of the story."

With an impressive roster of Memphis artists to celebrate, an eventual physical display of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame is certainly on the minds of organizers.

"We're not only thinking about the initial induction, but what this project will look like 20 years from now," says Doyle.

(J. Poet lives in San Francisco and writes about Native, folk, country, Americana, and world music for many national and international publications and websites.)

The Memphis Chapter Is Full Of Soul At 40

Shadowing a robust history that includes the King, Sun Records, Stax Records, and Beale Street, The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter celebrates 40 years as a local community touchstone

Larry Nager

GRAMMYs

Jun 21, 2017 - 12:57 am

GRAMMY.com

(Editor's Note: Founded in 1973, The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2013. In the coming weeks, GRAMMY.com will publish a special content series paying tribute to the Chapter and the surrounding region's rich musical legacy, which encompasses the deepest roots of American music and the birthplaces of blues, jazz, ragtime, Cajun, zydeco, and rock and roll. The Chapter will host a 40th anniversary celebration featuring musical performances on July 13.)

When The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter was formed 40 years ago, gas was 30 cents a gallon and folks everywhere were filling up and heading to West Tennessee. The Home of the Blues and Elvis Presley was thriving as a fertile, diverse musical hotbed.

Mid-South blues Kings B.B. and Albert were reigning as mentors to rock gods such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page. Chips Moman's American Sound Studios was helping bring Elvis back to the charts with recordings such as 1969's From Elvis In Memphis. Johnny Cash, who scored hits for Sun Records, was country's biggest star. Memphis was unchallenged as Soulsville, USA, with Stax, Hi and smaller labels such as Goldwax churning out future classics. Stax expanded Memphis' reach to include Richard Pryor's comedy recordings and Big Star's modern rock offerings.

Memphis was at a commercial and artistic peak in the early '70s as efforts to form a Recording Academy Chapter heated up. The challenge, recalls producer/engineer/studio owner Knox Phillips, was organizing a fiercely independent scene that included the likes of his father, Sun Records head Sam Phillips, Stax Records President Al Bell and songwriter/producer/session musician Jim Dickinson.

"Everybody sort of had their own agenda. There really wasn't much of a spirit of cooperation," says Knox Phillips. "There were people like Chips [Moman] who didn't even want his people to work for any other studio."

Bell says the city had an inferiority complex. "People thought [a Memphis Chapter] was a good idea, but they didn't think it was possible, because the general attitude was, 'We're just little old Memphis, Tennessee.'"

But timing is everything. Knox Phillips represented the Nashville Chapter on The Recording Academy's Board of Trustees and in 1973 Nashville landed the ultimate prize: the 15th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, which took place March 3, 1973, at the Tennessee Theatre. This marked the first and (thus far) only time Music's Biggest Night strayed from the coasts. The eyes of the world were on Tennessee.

Phillips and fellow Trustee Mike Post played a key role in The Recording Academy adding a sixth chapter in Memphis (which was competing with Detroit, Miami and Toronto, according to Phillips). "Mike Post made the motion for Memphis and the Trustees approved that," says Phillips, who later represented the Memphis Chapter as a Trustee. "I felt pretty good, but there was a lot of work to do."

Phillips, Stax Records' Jim Stewart and local attorney Harold Streibich lobbied relentlessly. Memphis' heritage — including "Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy, WDIA-AM, Beale Street, and Sun Records — proved formidable. And as Stax and Hi continued to yield hits, Memphis tipped the scales as both a hallowed ground and industry powerhouse. "It was the credibility of Stax Records that created the logical step for that to happen," says David Porter, former Memphis Chapter President and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee.

"Most of all, I wanted Memphis music to be recognized for its creative spirit," says Phillips. "That was the thing that was going to allow Memphis music to continue even in the hard times."

Just landing the Chapter was a huge boost, Bell remembers. "It said to us we were being recognized by the recorded music industry. We didn't think we measured up. But when we got a Chapter it was, 'Oh my God!' And it's been, 'Oh my God!' ever since."

Despite success stories such as Ardent Studios hosting recordings by ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin and other notable acts, the '70s saw a shrinking of the Memphis music industry and the Chapter attempted to find its footing. The '80s saw another shift, as major labels rediscovered Memphis with numerous signings of local artists such as Jimmy Davis, Jimi Jamison, Rob Jungklas, Tora Tora, and Xavion. Under Dean Richard Ranta, the University of Memphis expanded its music industry curriculum and Ranta later served as Chapter President and an Academy Trustee.

Everything changed in the '90s, as Academy Chapters morphed from stand-alone entities to one singular not-for-profit entity under The Recording Academy, each with allocated funding. In 1995 the Memphis Chapter opened offices on Beale Street, hired staff and began producing events tailored for members and the community at large.

Jon Hornyak became the first full-time Memphis Chapter Executive Director in 1994 and began producing an expanded Premier Players Awards, an event honoring regional luminaries. Recently, the Chapter has focused on offering members educational and professional guidance initiatives under the GRAMMY GPS banner.

A Missouri native, musician and entrepreneur, Hornyak came to The Academy with a diverse background as the owner of a recording studio and sound and lighting companies, and experience managing artists and serving as founding executive director for the Crossroads Music Conference.

"Jon Hornyak has been priceless," says Bell, who received a Recording Academy Trustees Award in 2011. "He could relate to the musicians. He could relate to the city. He could relate to all of us, and it's still that way today."

Native Memphian, Big Star drummer and Ardent Studios Manager Jody Stephens has seen the Chapter's evolution from the beginning.

"It's become even more vital to musicians. It's been a real catalyst for bringing all sorts of people together," says Stephens, who is a former Academy Trustee.

As the Chapter has continued to evolve, Hornyak says the biggest change has been an increased effort to service and engage the entire region.

"Knox Phillips talked about getting Memphis a seat at the table and one of my contributions has been getting the region a seat at the table and bringing Recording Academy events, programs and community service to Louisiana, Mississippi and St. Louis and getting people involved on our Board as elected leaders and Trustees," he says.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Memphis Chapter stepped in as part of the MusiCares Hurricane Relief Effort, with Member Services Production Manager Reid Wick coordinating efforts in New Orleans. Both cities realized they were better united. "It's really from around that time that the regional aspect of the Chapter began to take shape," says Hornyak, who is now the Chapter's Senior Executive Director.

Hornyak sees the Memphis Chapter's mission today as a delicate balance between "paying tribute to the musical heritage of this area, while trying to pay attention to the present and the future. There is no future unless we learn from the past, but unless we have a vital future, the past won't be relevant. We need to connect the past, present and the future in a significant way."

(Larry Nager is a Nashville-based writer, musician and documentary filmmaker. A proud former Memphian, he is the author of Memphis Beat (St. Martin's Press) and the writer and co-producer of the film Bill Monroe: Father Of Bluegrass Music. He has been a member of the Memphis Chapter for more than 25 years.)

News

Music That Makes You Go Mmmm

Thanksgiving is upon us and if there's one thing on the minds of Americans everywhere, it's food. And what pairs better with delicious food than, well, delicious music? Whether you're looking forward to smashing pumpkins for warm pumpkin pie, adding some jelly to your roll or making sauce out of cranberries, we have music that will satisfy your appetite. Or at least give you some new ideas for your Thanksgiving menu.

Appetizing Artists

Main Dishes:Captain BeefheartChickenfootFishboneLamb Of GodPaul McCartney And WingsPhishMeat LoafMeat Puppets

In continuing its mission to preserve and celebrate music year-round, The Recording Academy has announced the newest additions to its legendary GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, adding 30 recordings to a collection that now totals 881 titles. The collection is on display at the GRAMMY Museum.

"The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame represents all genres of music, acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which The Academy has become renowned," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "These musical treasures have brought us timeless recordings, and each of them deserves to be memorialized. These recordings are living evidence that music remains an indelible part of our culture."

The dynamic group of 2011 inductees range from the Beatles' "Penny Lane" to the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." Other recordings include Al Jolson's "My Mammy," the Marvelettes' "Hey Mr. Postman," Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again," the Original Broadway Cast recording of Brigadoon, Prince & The Revolution's Purple Rain, and Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Other inductees with selections include Joan Baez, Mildred Bailey, Ray Charles, Jimmy Cliff, Fats Domino, Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, Al Green, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys, among others.

Established by The Academy's National Trustees in 1973, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was created to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, and final approval is made by The Recording Academy Trustees.

Tune in to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

News

Music That Makes You Go Mmmm

Need some help with your Thanksgiving menu planning? Here are some artists and songs to whet your Thanksgiving appetite

GRAMMYs

Jun 21, 2017 - 12:57 am

GRAMMY.com

Thanksgiving is upon us and if there's one thing that's filling the minds of Americans everywhere, it's food. And what pairs better with delicious food than, well, delicious music? Whether you're looking forward to smashing pumpkins for warm pumpkin pie, adding some jelly to your roll or making sauce out of cranberries, we have music that will satisfy your appetite. Or at least give you some new ideas for your Thanksgiving menu.

In honor of the biggest eating holiday of the year, we present you a tasty selection of appetizing artists, plus a side dish of edible songs.

Appetizing Artists

Main Dishes:ChickenfootLamb Of GodPaul McCartney And WingsMeat LoafMeat Puppets

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of The Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for The Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by The Recording Academy. BELIEVE IN MUSIC is a trademark and/or registered trademark of National Association of Music Merchants, Inc. Used under license.